The present disclosure relates generally to image capture systems and techniques.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
High dynamic range (HDR) imaging generally relates to a set of imaging techniques that allows for the capture and representation of a greater dynamic range of luminances between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than standard digital imaging techniques. Wider dynamic ranges allows for HDR images to more accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real-world scenes. One method for capturing HDR images includes the merging of multiple independently captured photographs. For instance, this process may include capturing multiple images at different exposures in succession, and then processing them to generate a composite HDR image.
However, there exist disadvantages to the process of generating a HDR image from multiple independently captured images. For example, changes may occur when images are captured successively such that a composite HDR image generated therefrom may not be completely aligned. This may generate motion artifacts in the composite HDR image. Further, the images may be affected by local motion in the image scene, e.g., trees swaying in the wind, people and faces shifting slightly, etc. Additionally, the time required for a HDR image to be processed may be delayed based on the images to be captured. Accordingly, techniques and systems for increasing the speed and continuity with which HDR images may be generated are desirable.